Is I Got out for about an hour and a half this evening on the little pigeon. I wasn't expecting much with the cold temps from last night, but I had some free time. I waded and fished the banks for about an hour with no luck. Then I decided to walk along the bank on another stretch where I've seen fish laid up on beds before. I walked the bank once and didn't see anything. Walking back, I noticed a smallie right along the bank in a spot where I caught a good smallie last year. At this point, I wasn't sure if this fish was just chilling by the bank or guarding a bed. I made a few steps closer to the fish to get in position to make a cast. Fish spooked. Bout 30 seconds later, the fish circles around and back to the same spot. Now I know this fish I likely on a bed. I watch where the fish settles back and make a cast. Fish spooks again before the fly even hits the water. I suspect it'll circle back so I pull my bugger over to fish's holding spot and wait. I let the fly sit still for about a minute before the fish comes back to the spot. I make a small twitch along the river bottom. Fish turns immediately. Another twitch and the fish inhales the bugger. I believe I've caught this smallie two years in a row. Fun fish both years.

Do you drive a red cherokee with load bars on top? If so, I was next to you at the redlight in Sevierville about 7pm. I drive a blue chevy 4 door truck with the TN orange smallie sticker on the back window. I was headed home from work.
nice bass. I 've been watching them on the bed for a week or so. fun to just watch them swim around each other down there. sometimes I take a stroll during my lunch break when the sun is high overhead. you can usually see lots of redds.

No I drive 98 blue ford f150 with a camper shell on the back. I was parked behind the hardees downstream of the Sevierville park. They are fun to watch when they're on beds. I'll be floating from the hardees on Sundays morning likely. Probably be out again Monday and Tuesday evenings next week. Weather looks great and I've got a bunch of wiggle minnows and stealth bombers I've tied up this past week I need to get wet. You're welcome to join me anytime you see me out there. I wear an old gray Tennessee hat anytime I'm fishing.

Great fish. How long was it. Nothing like sight fishing. I dont care if its a Smallmouth or a brown trout or a bluegill. There's no feeling like when a fish inhales your fly. I'm going up monday maybe I'll see you there.
Lynn

Great fish. How long was it. Nothing like sight fishing. I dont care if its a Smallmouth or a brown trout or a bluegill. There's no feeling like when a fish inhales your fly. I'm going up monday maybe I'll see you there.
Lynn

Just guessing I'd say in the 17-20" range. I'll be out there about 2~ 6 Monday. I'll probably be floating from the confluence near hardees down to the wilderness. Perhaps a little further down. I'll probably be the only one out fly fishing from a pontoon.

Must have been another fly fisherman. He had some FF related stickers on the windows of his jeep.

I am going back to the FB tomorrow with the canoe. I've been trying to find the stripe on the shoals. Fished 7 islands last saturday and only caught one white bass all day. had to deal with several jet boats and 1 very annoying air boat that kept running back and forth to different spots every 10-15 min.
I know people have been catching them downstream from there so maybe they will be there this weekend. 1-2.5pd stripe (white bass) in the current on a fly rod is a lot of fun! I may fish on the lil pig on monday now that the water levels are back to normal. Not sure where I will be yet but look for my truck.

Milligan,I will be fishing in the afternoon @ some of the easier spots to wade. If you see me stop if you have time and we can introduce ourselves. I'll be the one limping.LOL Got a bum knee so I'll be cherry pickin' spots.
Lynn

I've noticed an interesting trend with smallmouth fishing.....we already know that smallmouth tend to be almost hybrids of trout and bass in terms of how they act, where they hold in current, etc. It seems that also translates to the size of a fish. Bass are almost always measured in pounds while trout are measured in inches. Granted bigger trout are weighed and maybe bigger largemouth measured. However, it seems that most smallmouth are measured both ways, regardless of size. Maybe I'm wrong, just something I've noticed.

Plan on the river to be over run with the bucket fishermen over the next week. I just logged onto east tn fishing forum and read the most stupid report. This local stooge, (trying to be nice), posted a report from this morning how HE is the '"fish slayer" and telling everyone how he is catching all these "20" smallies with exact locations on the river. He even posted a "you Tube" video of himself dancing around, singing to himself holding up a smallmouth. pretty pathetic.

Plan on the river to be over run with the bucket fishermen over the next week. I just logged onto east tn fishing forum and read the most stupid report. This local stooge, (trying to be nice), posted a report from this morning how HE is the '"fish slayer" and telling everyone how he is catching all these "20" smallies with exact locations on the river. He even posted a "you Tube" video of himself dancing around, singing to himself holding up a smallmouth. pretty pathetic.

I saw that post and thought the same thing. Thank God I can float post the location he have away so clearly.